The spectacular jewelry collection that belonged to the late Anne Eisenhower – granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower – fetched more than $11.5 million at auction.
The impressive 31-piece lot went under the hammer at Christie’s New York on Tuesday, nearly a year after the famed interior designer and philanthropist died last July at the age of 73.
Eisenhower’s unique personal collection included bracelets, rings, necklaces and a brooch from major jewelry houses including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston.
The top lot was the iconic “Garter” ruby and diamond bracelet that actress Marlene Dietrich acquired from Van Cleef & Arpels in 1937. It sold for $4,527,000.
The late Anne Eisenhower’s personal jewelry collection fetched more than $11.5 million after going under the hammer at Christie’s New York on Tuesday
The top lot was the iconic “Garter” ruby and diamond bracelet that actress Marlene Dietrich acquired from Van Cleef & Arpels in 1937. It sold for $4,527,000.
Eisenhower bought Dietrich’s bracelet at auction in 1992 and hired Van Cleef & Arpels to make a necklace and complementary earrings (pictured)
Dietrich wore the bracelet in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1950 “Stage Fright” Murder Mystery and 1951 Oscars.
The stunning piece of Hollywood history passed from one iconic collection to another when Eisenhower bought it at auction in 1992.
She enlisted Van Cleef & Arpels to make a complementary necklace and earrings, which sold at auction for $1,184,400 and $176,400, respectively.
Other highlights include a rare Art Deco “moonlight rose” diamond and multi-gem bracelet from Tiffany & Co. ($604,800), an Art Deco diamond bracelet from Cartier ($151,000) and a ring with a 20.54-carat emerald-cut diamond ($1,159,200).
Lisa Hubbard, Senior Jewelry Advisor at Christie, shared a decades-long friendship with Eisenhower, and the two bonded over their love of fine jewelry.
Hubbard remembered Eisenhower as the kind of person everyone noticed when she walked into a room, “not because she was over the top, but because she navigated and was just an elegant presence.”
Among the jewelry expert’s favorite pieces at the sale were the Van Cleef & Arpels sapphire and diamond “waterfall” necklace and earrings.
“I’ve never seen this pattern before, and they’re so flattering,” she explained. “They show what good jewelry is.”
The Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and earrings (seen on Eisenhower at the Plaza Hotel in New York on October 25, 1995) sold at auction for $1,184,400 and $176,400, respectively
Eisenhower was the granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower Mamie Doud Eisenhower. She and her brother, David, are pictured with their grandparents in London in 1962
In 1970, Prince Charles attended a formal dance at the White House with Tricia Nixon (beside him), and Anne, David and Julie Eisenhower (left to right on the stairs)
Eisenhower (center) is pictured with his brother, David (left) and publisher Kip Forbes (right) at an event at Mortimer’s restaurant in New York City on October 28, 1986
In tribute to the interior designer’s legacy, Christie’s has launched a world tour of “The Magnificent Gems of Anne Eisenhower”, which began in Los Angeles.
After stops in Shanghai, Paris, Taipei, Geneva and Hong Kong, the tour ended in New York, where the complete collection was sold at a live, online auction on July 7 during the Christie’s Luxury Week.
Commenting on the scintillating collection of treasures, Marc Porter, President of Christie’s Americas, said, “From Marlene Dietrich to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Anne Eisenhower Collection traces the history of the last century through the brilliant passion of a single collector. for fine jewelry.
“Anne Eisenhower had a keen eye for the finest examples of the art of jewellery, and her collection tells fascinating and intertwined stories of patrons and collectors.”
Meanwhile, Daphne Lingon, Head of Jewelery for Christie’s Americas, said: “Christie’s is truly honored to be entrusted with the Magnificent Jewels of Anne Eisenhower, a woman who led an extraordinary life of taste, style and philanthropy. , while remaining true to its values.
“From exquisite creations by Cartier, Tiffany & Co. and Van Cleef & Arpels to important gemstones, this auction offers collectors a unique opportunity to secure a piece of jewelry that has been painstakingly acquired over 40 years by a true creator of taste.”
Eisenhower’s family said the auction was a fitting way to celebrate his life.
“While these jewels are indeed breathtaking, my grandmother is the real gem that we celebrate…and will always celebrate,” her granddaughter Camila Mendoza told Christie’s.
Other highlights of Eisenhower’s jewelry collection include a rare Art Deco ‘moonlight rose’ diamond and multi-gem bracelet by Tiffany & Co. which sold for $604,800
Designed like a panther, this Cartier brooch adorned with round and one-cut yellow diamonds, onyx plaques and pear-shaped emeralds sold at auction for $214,200.
A dazzling ring with a 20.54-carat emerald-cut diamond sold for $1,159,200 (left), while an Art Deco diamond bracelet from Cartier sold for $151,000 (right)
Stunning Van Cleef & Arpels platinum necklace with sapphires and diamonds sold for $819,000
Born in West Point, New York, in 1949, Eisenhower was the daughter of military historian John Eisenhower and his wife Barbara (née Thompson).
She spent her early childhood in the White House when her grandfather was the 34th President of the United States.
As a teenager, she met foreign dignitaries such as French President Charles de Gaulle and former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill while traveling abroad with her grandparents.
Eisenhower began working under New York design legend Dorothy Draper in the late 1970s before founding her eponymous firm, specializing in traditional residential design.
In 1990, Architectural Digest named her one of the best designers in the world. That same year, she told the publication that her interior design style was “traditional, but for today’s living: comfortable, with a ‘lived-in’ look; streamlined without appearing austere.
Eisenhower was also a philanthropist and served on the board of the Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education for 25 years.
Her other charitable causes included the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the American Heart Association, and the Eisenhower Family Legacy, among others.
Eisenhower is survived by his daughter Adriana Echavarria, his grandchildren Camila and Nico Mendoza, and her husband of 31 years, Wolfgang K. Flottl.
